ALBUM REVIEW: Mythos, Confession, Tragedies And Love – Beth Blade & The Beautiful Disasters

July 4, 2022 Tom Fordham

Brimming with a passionate zeal for monstrous riffs and huge choruses that are all underpinned with an old school rock and roll attitude, BETH BLADE & THE BEAUTIFUL DISASTERS (BB&TBD) have given Welsh and UK rock a real kick up the proverbial backside. Drawing comparisons to the likes of HALESTORM and JOAN JETT, the Welsh rockers are back with a vengeance, flexing their new found aggressive lyrical muscles and melodic power. Taking on the form of a confessional journal, the band’s new album Mythos, Confession, Tragedies And Love chronicles a survival of tragedy in which Beth Blade bestows significant weight upon her words. It is also a passionate expression of hope and love – despite the hardships you go through, you can still shine and prosper.

What is inspiring on Mythos, Confession, Tragedies And Love is that Blade shares every part of her soul with the listener. The no-holds-barred honesty has a real poignance and resonance, as it champions individuality and uniqueness throughout the album. Whilst there is a brilliantly old school rock attitude behind the music, this is also an album that is intensely vulnerable, sensitive and emotional. Mixing ballads with balls to the wall rock, BB&TBD don’t hesitate to take you an emotional rollercoaster, making you feel anything and everything in quick succession. With the song variety offering up a more exposed side of the band, Mythos, Confession, Tragedies And Love is a redemptive listen, encouraging you to confide in it and let your pain, anguish and sadness be released in a collective and intimate moment of emotional catharsis.

The album feels almost like a concept album, as you follow a central protagonist through a vast array of scenarios that frankly discuss various states of mind with the emphasis being that no matter how low this protagonist went, she always survived. Mythos, Confession, Tragedies And Love allows you to realise your own strength and power through this character. Blade has put a little piece of herself into each song, with humility and sincerity the narrative is thought provoking, with the ability to speak to the most anxious of minds, comfort them and give them a new found strength to rise up.

Blending the epic nature of traditional British heavy metal with a gritty punk attitude and gothic extravagance, Mythos, Confession, Tragedies And Love is simultaneously raw and anthemic. Compared to BB&TBD’s previous album Show Me Your Teeth, Mythos… opts for a slower, more reflective approach to its songwriting. With songs taking on a more ballad centric vibe, it shows that is a strong focus on melody as Blade’s voice soars over gritty overdriven rhythms and whirling lead guitars on the faster songs, and is softer and sombre on the slower songs, simultaneously taking the band out of their comfort zone and showing their songwriting versatility in a beautifully soul stirring way. This is especially prevalent on bonus track I Never Knew, which sees a tragedy unfold accompanied by baleful piano melodies and heart breaking vocals.

The album itself will surprise many fans of the band; as it opens in their signature style with The Otherside, you realise pretty quickly that this is a very different version of BB&TBD. As the album progresses it gets more emotionally intense, as Sin Eater goes on to showcase. Both the first two tracks have a darkness to them, more so than some of the band’s previous releases. Moving on to Tonight I’m With You, the album takes a surprising turn as the band launch into an oddly upbeat love song that charts the intense happiness you find in the little moments with someone special.

Who Are You carries a similar vibe, taking the form of a punky/bluesy rock song that is punchy and celebrates your own individuality. Hold Your Heart brings things to a more intimate setting, a haunting acoustic ballad charting the sadness felt when you see someone struggling and can’t seem to help them. Given the variety of emotions on display throughout the album this is only a small sample of what is on this record, but the energy is dynamically lowered and raised with masterful musicianship. The strong messages in the lyrics will no doubt offer hope to many people who feel like they’re in a dark place.

Mythos, Confession, Tragedies And Love shows a maturity only gained through a lifetime’s worth of experience; this is a deeply visceral account of love, tragedy and hope that stands out significantly from BETH BLADE & THE BEAUTIFUL DISASTERS‘ previous work. The band’s third album will make you feel joy, love, loss, sadness, strength and a whole host of other emotions as the listener and album confide in each other.

Rating: 8/10